Photo Credit: Gleem & Co
Nikki Lawrence, the Co-Founder & CEO of Gleem & Co., is always a treasure hunter and turns her love for special little jewelries into a business.
Today, Gleem & Co is the one-stop marketplace for high-end consignment accessories and watches. Sellers can trade their one-at-a-kind pieces with fair values to the platform for cash or store credit. Buyers can find expert-appraised vintage and estate jewelry at a cut price.
Nikki spoke at Startup Global New York City, co-hosted by GIF, in 2016, and shared stories about her business and how it expanded globally.
For her, choosing partners strategically can help expedite a startup’s global expansion. “While going direct and having a perfectly integrated supply chain may be the ideal several years out, when you get going, you either benefit from or have no other choice but to use intermediaries. For us, it’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience. You get the halo effect of their brand and they can get you FedEx rates far lower than you can access on your own, etc. But, don’t assume that your partners know more than you do. Make sure to address all your questions with them in advance,” told Nikki.
In addition to the strategic partnership, technology also helps to simplify and extent Nikki’s company’s operation. The startup uses Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram as major channels of marketing and broader customer reach, and leverages eBay and Shopify as their main platform for its offerings.